12 May 2011
Public support for coalition politics is waning, according to a study published today – the first anniversary of the government.
A poll by the Institute for Government found almost two-thirds of people (63%) thought it would be a ‘bad thing’ for no party to win an overall majority in a general election. This compares with 55% on the eve of the May 2010 UK general election, when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government came into power.
More than two-thirds of the 1,000 respondents (68%) said the country as a whole was weaker under a coalition than it would be otherwise. But more than half still believed the LibDems were right to join the coalition.
IFG director Andrew Adonis said: ‘As a political project, the coalition clearly needs to reinvent and renew itself, even more so following the [Alternative Vote referendum] and local election votes.
‘This year the public will want to see the point of coalition government, and it will be a difficult balancing act for both parties to please their supporters and also convince the public that coalition government works as a strong government.’
The poll was published in a document called One year on – the first year of coalition government alongside a collection of essays by political researchers such as Peter Riddell and Hilary Armstrong.
It also revealed that less than half of the public (44%) believed there has been a significant LibDem influence in major areas of policy government policy over the past year. Some 58% felt the LibDems had abandoned their principals since signing up to the coalition.
‘The polls show that the coalition is not viewed as a partnership of equals,’ added Adonis.
